Marx's Dialectical Approach
The dialectical approach was borrowed by
Karl Marx from the German philosopher Hegel.
It is based on the idea that the ultimate nature of all reality is change. All reality, in this approach, is based on
the coexistence of incompatible forces.
(In Marxian language, these incompatible forces are called “contradictions”.) Every aspect of reality generates its
opposite. The aspect of reality is
called the “thesis”; the opposite is
called the “antithesis”. The thesis and the antithesis are
incompatible. This leads to
conflict. The conflict is finally
somehow resolved. This resolution is
called the “synthesis”. (Neither Marx nor Hegel ever used these exact
terms.) The synthesis becomes a new
thesis, which then generates its own antithesis, and so on in a process of
continual change. Marx adapted this
thinking to the study of history and to the focus on social classes.
Marx's Materialist Interpretation of History
In general, there are three approaches to
the interpretation of history. The “Great Person
Approach” focuses on the activities of certain leaders --- monarchs,
Presidents, criminals, and so forth. The idealist approach interprets historical
change as resulting from changes in people’s ideas. In this approach, changes
in ideas (religious, political, or economic) cause changes in behaviors,
institutions, and so forth. Marx
rejected both of these approaches. To
Marx’s materialist approach, history evolves
according to changes in the mode of production.
“In
the social production of their life, men enter into definite relations that are
indispensable and independent of their will,
relations of production which correspond to a definite stage of development of their material productive forces. The sum total of these relations of
production constitute the economic structure
of society, on which rises a legal and political superstructure and to which correspond definite
forms of social consciousness. The mode
of production of material life conditions the social,
political, and intellectual process in general.
It is not the consciousness of men that determines their being, but, on the contrary,
their social being that determines their consciousness.” (A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy)
In Chapter 2, the individual person was
seen as most important. Both liberal market capitalism and parliamentary democracy
are based on the notion of the primacy of the individual. But to Marx, the individual was nothing more
than the “ensemble of social relations”. There is no basic person. What one becomes is the product of one’s society. So, for Marx, the society is the focus of
analysis. Most particularly, the focus
of analysis is one’s social class. To Marx, social class is not to be defined
according to one’s income. So there was no lower class, middle class, and upper
class. Instead, one’s
social class is determined by one’s relation to capital goods. Those who own capital are called “capitalists”. Those who do not own capital, and therefore
must sell their labor to others who do, are called “workers”. Marx used the French words: the capitalists are called the “bourgeoisie” and
the workers are called the “proletariat” (see for example in The Communist Manifesto).
Marx's dialectical approach and his materialist interpretation of history come together in what is called (by Marx's interpreters) dialectical materialism.
For additional insight see:
Karl Marx - The Dialectic and the Dialectical Method - Summary
For additional insight see:
Karl Marx - The Dialectic and the Dialectical Method - Summary
Marx's Perception of History in The German Ideology: dialectics and capitalism
Marx's Class Struggle
Marx on alienation and freedom
Marx's Value and Surplus Value theory
Marx on The Reserve Army of Labor / Unemployed
Marx's Law of Increasing Concentration of Capital
Marx on Contradictions of Capitalism
Marx on the Crises of Capitalism
Marx on the state
Marx on Imperialism
Marx on the Proletarian Revolution
Marx on the dictatorship of the Proletariat -
Summary of the Communist Manifesto
Summary of The German Ideology
Marx on alienation and freedom
Marx's Value and Surplus Value theory
Marx on The Reserve Army of Labor / Unemployed
Marx's Law of Increasing Concentration of Capital
Marx on Contradictions of Capitalism
Marx on the Crises of Capitalism
Marx on the state
Marx on Imperialism
Marx on the Proletarian Revolution
Marx on the dictatorship of the Proletariat -
Summary of the Communist Manifesto
Summary of The German Ideology